What sports should I participate in to help for an ROTC scholarship?

What sports should I participate in to help for an ROTC scholarship?
I'm entering high school this year, and I was wondering what sports I should participate in during high school to help for an ROTC scholarship. Academically, I have a strong background, and during my freshman year, I will even be taking an honors chemistry course designed for juniors. I know that they will prefer me doing something that I love, but I have no experience in any of the sports that my new school offers, and I want to pick up a new sport in high school. With that said, which sports from this list should I participate in during high school to help me for an ROTC scholarship?

These sports are the only ones offered at my school.

[Choose One Sport Per Season Only From This List (Assume you have equal or no experience in any of these sports)]

Fall Sports Season
- Cross Country
- Soccer

Winter Sports Season
- Swimming
- Basketball
- Wrestling

Spring Sports Season
- Lacrosse
- Tennis
- Baseball
- Golf

Also, please explain why you would choose the specific combination? Thank you very much.

What sports should I participate in to help for an ROTC scholarship?
I'm entering high school this year, and I was wondering what sports I should participate in during high school to help for an ROTC scholarship. Academically, I have a strong background, and during my freshman year, I will even be taking an honors chemistry course designed for juniors. I know that they will prefer me doing something that I love, but I have no experience in any of the sports that my new school offers, and I want to pick up a new sport in high school. With that said, which sports from this list should I participate in during high school to help me for an ROTC scholarship?

These sports are the only ones offered at my school.

[Choose One Sport Per Season Only From This List (Assume you have equal or no experience in any of these sports)]

Fall Sports Season
- Cross Country
- Soccer

Winter Sports Season
- Swimming
- Basketball
- Wrestling

Spring Sports Season
- Lacrosse
- Tennis
- Baseball
- Golf

Also, please explain why you would choose the specific combination? Thank you very much.

Click to expand...

My DS did "solo"-type sports, like track, tennis, etc., and he received a scholarship. But I think team sports like soccer might be slightly preferred because there are more opportunities to shine as a leader and work with others toward a common goal (not that a track team doesn't work together as a unit, though; perhaps others can opine). My suggestion is to participate in the sport that you enjoy -- you'll likely do better at it and have a more enjoyable high school experience.

Agree with Patentesq and suspect others will offer the same theme: do what you like, stick with it and strive for leadership opportunities.

I wouldn't dare try to rate one sport vs another (for fear of attack!) but I suspect you could expect wrestling to give you the closest experience of "martial arts" and cross country would have to direct correlation to physical fitness training.

You stated you wanted to pick up a new sport in High School but if you are already involved in a sport and want to continue in a club or organization, you should consider that too.

One final comment: there is no "magic formula" to earn a ROTC scholarship. Grades, extracurricular activities, sports, leadership positions, ACT/SAT scores, interviews, ROTC application combined with the US economy, global conflicts at the time and a bit of luck all come together in the process. Best of luck and thanks for considering serving our country.

What sports should I participate in to help for an ROTC scholarship?
I'm entering high school this year, and I was wondering what sports I should participate in during high school to help for an ROTC scholarship. Academically, I have a strong background, and during my freshman year, I will even be taking an honors chemistry course designed for juniors. I know that they will prefer me doing something that I love, but I have no experience in any of the sports that my new school offers, and I want to pick up a new sport in high school. With that said, which sports from this list should I participate in during high school to help me for an ROTC scholarship?

These sports are the only ones offered at my school.

[Choose One Sport Per Season Only From This List (Assume you have equal or no experience in any of these sports)]

Fall Sports Season
- Cross Country
- Soccer

Winter Sports Season
- Swimming
- Basketball
- Wrestling

Spring Sports Season
- Lacrosse
- Tennis
- Baseball
- Golf

Also, please explain why you would choose the specific combination? Thank you very much.

Click to expand...

Some schools assume you already are coming with significant skills even as a freshman, better check that out. Assuming no previous experience is required some involve no hand-eye coordination, others require hand-eye and foot coordination, some cost big bucks to train, some require certain weight or height. Then there's the whole captain aspect, there are extra points if you become a captain which usually means you can't just participate but must excel. If you don't enjoy the sport you won't practice which means you won't excel; you better like to run if you do soccer or cross country. Personally, there are so many intangibles to consider that you can't look at the list you have to foremost look at yourself.

PAR is 60%, so make sure you don't lose sight of that fact. ECs are only 20% and that includes things like BSA, NHS, etc.

Get a 1600 on your SAT or 25 ACT and be the team captain will mean squat for at least AFROTC, because the typical SAT score is @1300 (SAT --no superscore) and if you spend too much time worrying about athletics over academics you killed your chances just as fast.

It is called the WCS and not the CWS for a reason. WHOLE CANDIDATE takes priority not the CANDIDATE WHOLE SCORE.

I suspect you could expect wrestling to give you the closest experience of "martial arts" and cross country would have to direct correlation to physical fitness training.

Click to expand...

I might replace cross country with Soccer, b/c soccer is a team sport and one runs almost as much in soccer as one does in cross country during a game.

#1 criterion: a sport in which you are least likely to sustain an injury that will DQ you from ROTC participation... i.e. severely separated shoulder, etc. There is a post here about an AFROTC cadet who was DQ'd after sophomore year b/c of a bad shoulder he sustained in, I believe, 8th grade.

60% is PAR. Prior Academic Record. This is where they tally up everything for you academically...SAT/ACT, gpa, rank, school profile, course curriculum, rigor, etc.

EC's are another 20%. That includes athletics, PFA, jobs, awards, volunteering, etc.

20% more goes into Essays, recs., interviews.

I am sure I missing stuff, but that is the bulk.

Remember AFROTC is not like A/NROTC, they take a nationalistic approach with no weight to the college, but to the intended major.

You can be Captain of FB, Wrestling and LAX, but if you have a 1200 SAT you are not going to get a scholarship. Now if you have a 1400 SAT and valedictorian with 9 APs, NHS, and was on the Tennis team for 4 yrs, not even Captain, that is a different story.

OBTW you are all missing something here when telling a kid to do X sport over Y. What if he s*cks at it? Have any of you who suggested a sport investigated if he has the aptitude? Have any of you asked the size of the school, and if certain sports cut?

OBTW you are all missing something here when telling a kid to do X sport over Y. What if he s*cks at it? Have any of you who suggested a sport investigated if he has the aptitude? Have any of you asked the size of the school, and if certain sports cut?

I have to agree with Pima, nobody can really tell you what sport to do. A lot will depend on the school. At my son's school Soccer was a very competetive sport, the school either won State or placed in the top 3 for the last 6 years, so if your not a great soccer player you won't make the team. Football was a bit easier to make the team. Baseball a little harder. So you get my drift, it all depends on the school.

The biggest thing is to do something you might enjoy. The only thing I might add is that Cross Country is usually a no cut sport, and it will keep you in great rumming shape for when you start ROTC.

Good luck in what ever you select.

Just as a note, my older son did Tennis, my younger son did Track and Cross Country, both were awarded 4 year AROTC Scholarships. The above posters are correct, try and become captain of a team.

What sports should I participate in to help for an ROTC scholarship?
I'm entering high school this year, and I was wondering what sports I should participate in during high school to help for an ROTC scholarship. Academically, I have a strong background, and during my freshman year, I will even be taking an honors chemistry course designed for juniors. I know that they will prefer me doing something that I love, but I have no experience in any of the sports that my new school offers, and I want to pick up a new sport in high school. With that said, which sports from this list should I participate in during high school to help me for an ROTC scholarship?

These sports are the only ones offered at my school.

[Choose One Sport Per Season Only From This List (Assume you have equal or no experience in any of these sports)]

Fall Sports Season
- Cross Country
- Soccer

Winter Sports Season
- Swimming
- Basketball
- Wrestling

Spring Sports Season
- Lacrosse
- Tennis
- Baseball
- Golf

Also, please explain why you would choose the specific combination? Thank you very much.

Click to expand...

My thoughts here are:
1) From the phrase in red, I ask if you currently participate in a sport that you can pursue at a high level outside of school (travel league, etc.). Those sports are every bit as valuable to your ROTC scholarship application as teams sponsored by your HS. If you are highly accomplished in that sport, the risks to your "career" in that sport are more known.

2) Ultimately, your focus really should be on preparing yourself physically and socially through sport for a military career that requires a physical teamwork. If you do well in this and enjoy it, you are better off than trying to manage an scholarship application off in the future. Be the best YOU that you can be. The details like scholarships work themselves out.

3) You should participate in a sport in each season, even if you aren't highly competitive in it as long as you enjoy it. You will be growing a lot physically in the next few years. As your body grows, it must constantly recallibrate its coordination as tomorrow your hand may be a little further from your face when you reach out to catch something flying at you quickly. You may have seen quick growing kids who seem clumsy. It is normal, but can be minimized by regular training.

4) Glad to hear that your academics are on a high track and that you are conscious of the physical scoring for ROTC. Don't forget the leadership aspect. As a freshman, don't worry about being club president or anything like that, but find EC activities (volunteering is a good example) where you can use your creativity to better someone's life. That is leadership you create which is entirely in your control.

Honestly I think any sport looks good. ROTC won't know if your school is a powerhouse in football or baseball so listing individual accolades such as "All-League, Conference, State" etc is good to put down as well. In my area there is a big difference between playing football (a non-cut sport/possible bench warmer) and say baseball (high school was state competitive as with the whole region being big on baseball)....jotting down state ranked team or something could help. I have always thought that team sports or being a team captain pulled more weight..but that's just me.